Container-cap applying machine

ABSTRACT

The machine of the invention is adapted for feeding containers of the type having threaded necks, and to be closed by threaded caps, to opposed spaced cap-engaging members which receive and rotate caps previously loosely applied to the containers, to tighten the caps on the containers. The container-engaging members are two feed belts for moving the containers rearwardly and a cap-engaging set shown as of rotated spaced disks which directly engage the container caps as they are moved rearwardly with their containers. These feeding members are primarily driven by two opposed sets of vertical shafts downwardly projecting form a casing which includes the driving, adjusting and other elements therein, simple adjusting means enabling the two sets of elements, one for feeding the containers and one for tightening the container caps, to be adjusted to accomodate containers and caps of various sizes as to diameter. There is provided special support for the brackets and their carried elements. These supports lie at the bottom of the casing and consist of members carried by the casing and shown as two shafts under extending lugs of the brackets, at least one of which is eccentric in form and carries a turn-handle extending outwardly from one end of the casing and by which the eccentric shaft may be turned to bear firmly against lugs of the brackets, forcing them upwardly against the lower marginal edges of the casing, so that said force imposed on the brackets will hold them against bodily movement, so that the lengthy pulley-shafts carried thereby are more adequately held against the lateral swing or vibration.

United States Patent [1 1 Lanes [4 1 June 24, 1975 CONTAINER-CAP APPLYING MACHINE Nathan Lanes, 400 Rugby Rd., Brooklyn, NY. 1 1226 [22] Filed: Mar. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 344,549

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 74/400 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6h 35/08 [58] Field of Search 74/400 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Driehaus 74/400 X Primary ExaminerLeonard H. Gerin 5 7 ABSTRACT wardly and a cap-engaging set shown as of rotated spaced disks which directly engage the container caps as they are moved rearwardly with their containers. These feeding members are primarily driven by two opposed sets of vertical shafts downwardly projecting form a casing which includes the driving, adjusting and other elements therein, simple adjusting means enabling the two sets of elements, one for feeding the containers and one for tightening the container caps, to be adjusted to accomodate containers and caps of various sizes as to diameter. There is provided special support for the brackets and their carried elements. These supports lie at the bottom of the casing and consist of members carried by the casing and shown as two shafts under extending lugs of the brackets, at least one of which is eccentric in form and carries a turn-handle extending outwardly from one end of the casing and by which the eccentric shaft may be turned to bear firmly against lugs of the brackets, forcing them upwardly against the lower marginal edges of the casing, so that said force imposed on the brackets will hold them against bodily movement, so that the lengthy pulley-shafts carried thereby are more adequately held against the lateral swing or vibration.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 CONTAINER-CAP APPLYING MACHINE The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled elements of a cap applying machine in accodance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmatic and generally schematic view, looking upwardly toward the bottom of the casing at one end thereof amd showing the supporting shafts for the bracket lugs, one of the opposed detachable plate bearing-members for the said shafts, and the bracket adjusting shafts, shafts as stated being indicated.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow, showing that the gears on the drive shaft for rotating the shafts vertical shafts for the cap engaging members are larger than those for the container engaging members, to enable the shafts for the cap engaging members to be offset rearwardly a short distance.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 4 of FIG. 3, but being merely schematic to show the method of drive, the limited forwardly offset arrangement for the shafts for the container engagement not being shown.

The following is a partial description of the assembled machine shown in FIG. 1, because herein it will be described in detail in connection with the remaining Figures. The open-bottom casing is shown at l, the shafts which carry the two end pulley wheels 27 are shown at 12, and one detachable shaft connection for the drive shaft 4 is indicated at 34, 35. The elements connected for rotating the drive shaft are not concerned with the invention and are merely indicated at 5, 6, 7 and 8, FIG. 1. At 21 is indicated one of the opposite detachable plate bearing supports.

In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 it is shown that the main drive shaft 4 receives its drive gears thereon by a spline arrangement permitting them to move sideways with the brackets 11, for the outer pulley shafts l2 and the brackets 13 for the inner pulley shafts 14. To show the general drive arrangement for the pulley shafts, FIG. 4 designates a splined drive gear by the symbol 10 and its in-mesh pulley-shaft driven gear as 10 By placing the brackets 13 rearwardly of the drive shaft, and the brackets 11 forwardly of the drive shaft, and having larger drive gears for the rearward bracket gears, the two sets of brackets are offset and yet a single drive shaft is employed for the driven gears thereof.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the spiral-toothed adjustment shaft for the brackets 11 by the symbol-designation l5, and FIG. 4 shows the position of the spiral toothed adjustment shaft for the brackets 13 by the symbol 16. In FIG. 2 the lugs for the brackets 13 are indicated at 3.

As will be seen by reference to FIG. 4, carried by each bracket 11 or 13 are lugs employed to abut the base of each longitudinal side wall of the open bottom casing l and that the support for the said brackets consists of two shafts l8, l9 lying under the brackets. Both shafts can be eccentric and have means for manually turning them to force the bracket lugs into firm abutment with the casing 1, although in the present embodiment supporting shaft or bar 19 is eccentric, at least at its areas abutting the bracket elements, while the bar 18 is shown otherwise. Therefore it is shaft 19 which is provided with a handle lever, so that after adjustment of the brackets, they may be forced against the casing longitudinal walls and held firmly as to themselves and the elements they carry. It is preferred that the eccentric shaft or shafts be held by the detachable plates 21 at the ends of the removable members 21 attached to the sides of the casing 1, plus abutment having an arm underlying said shaft, as shown in FIG. 2 at 21 and having its top spaced from the shaft for clearance. The said plates are attached to the casing by screws.

Reference to FIG. 1 will show that the bracket lugs 3 receive and hold vertical rods 22 which suspend arms 23 connected by a spacing member 24 having depending sections of rod-like form axially receiving the pulleys 25 which are driven from belts 26 from pulleys 27 on shafts 12. FIG. 1, also in the embodiment of that Figure, shafts l4 carry disks adapted to directly engage container caps and rotate them into closing condition while the belts bear upon and forwardly move the containers, one being indicated at 28. A feed-supporting belt for the containers is indicated at 29.

As referred to, by detachment of the supporting bearing plates 21 by screws 21, from the ends of the casing, the entire assembly of elements within the casing and below it, minus the drive shaft in the casing, may be withdrawn from the latter in assembled form; and the said drive shaft may be removed by detaching its bearing cup from the shaft vis screw 35 and endwise movement of drive cup 33, the latter having a conventionsquared socket for the squared end of the said shaft.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a contaner cap applying machine, an open bottom caisng, two sets of two brackets each within said casing and carrying depending pulley shafts and driven gears thereon, a spline drive shaft between the two sets of brackets and having drive gears engaging said driven gears, power means for driving said spline shaft, rotatable toothed shafts, one for each set of brackets and adapted to move them for spacing adjustment of said brackets, and means for supporting the brackets at their lower ends comprising elements at least one of which is operable to force said brackets against the casing base walls, and to release said force preliminary to adjust the spacing of either or both sets thereof.

2. A container-cap applying machine constructed in accordance with claim 1, in combination with two plate bearing supports, each detachable from one end of the casing and carrying said spacing adjusting shafts for the brackets and the bracket supporting elements, whereby the assembly of said brackets, their spacing adjusting shafts, and the base positioned supporting elements for the brackets may be withdrawn as a body, upon detachment of said plate bearing supports from the ends of the casing. 

1. In a contaner cap applying machine, an open bottom caisng, two sets of two brackets each within said casing and carrying depending pulley shafts and driven gears thereon, a spline drive shaft between the two sets of brackets and having drive gears engaging said driven gears, power means for driving said spline shaft, rotatable toothed shafts, one for each set of brackets and adapted to move them for spacing adjustment of said brackets, and means for supporting the brackets at their lower ends comprising elements at least one of which is operable to force said brackets against the casing base walls, and to release said force preliminary to adjust the spacing of either or both sets thereof.
 2. A container-cap applying machine constructed in accordance with claim 1, in combination with two plate bearing supports, each detachable from one end of the casing and carrying said spacing adjusting shafts for the brackets and the bracket supporting elements, whereby the assembly of said brackets, their spacing adjusting shafts, and the base positioned supporting elements for the brackets may be withdrawn as a body, upon detachment of said plate bearing supports from the ends of the casing. 